Management -- stadia and more
Guyana Chronicle
April 15, 2007
THE government's decision to utilise the Guyana National Stadium at Providence for multi-purpose activities, including cultural and religious, as well as football games, makes good economic sense in the future management of this very outstanding legacy of Cricket World Cup 2007 for which India's help is most commendable.
Interestingly enough, President Bharrat Jagdeo's statement to the media on April 11 about the future management and operations of the stadium, preceded disclosure of plans by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to organise a conference to discuss assistance to the nine host Caribbean nations to make their stadiums profitable.
Steps have already been taken to identify someone qualified for appointment as General Manager. If appointed before the proposed ICC-hosted conference on management, as disclosed by Don Lockerbie, the ICC/CWC's Chief Operating Officer and Venue Development Director, the assumption is that this would be consistent with criteria employed by already existing successful models in and beyond the Caribbean.
From what President Jagdeo stated when he spoke last week with the media about his government's pride in defying all odds for Guyana's success in hosting the six Super Eight matches, it is apparent that his administration intends to ensure the highest possible standard in management of the stadium.
This policy is also expected, indeed required, to be extended to another valuable new project, the National Convention Centre, constructed as a gift of China, and in close proximity to the spacious modern headquarters building that is the new CARICOM Secretariat -- a gift of Guyana to the community, with significant assistance from Japan.
Recommendations for making profitable ventures of the network of new and refurbished stadia for World Cup 07 are outlined in a document from the ICC. It was handed over last week to Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada in his capacity as chairman of CARICOM's Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket by President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Ken Gordon.
However, even before appropriate consideration is given by CARICOM Heads of Government to the ICC's initiative on stadia management, there remain a number of outstanding issues for immediate consideration by the nine Local Organising Committees (LOCs) for CWC 07.
Among these would be mutual understanding on implementation of the "revenue distribution formula", based on the Host Venue Agreement (HVA) between the ICC/CWC West Indies Inc and the nine LOCs.
Under this agreement, all profits from CWC 2007 Inc. "shall be for the benefit of the WICB" and distributed at "its sole discretion" with the understanding that all obligations to the LOCs are honoured.
In Jamaica, Minister of Finance and Planning, Omar Davies, has already spoken of dissatisfaction by governments, including his own, with the revenue-sharing arrangements with the ICC/CWC, and warned that, if necessary, legal action may have to be pursued.
Let's hope that we do not reach such a stage as the host countries continue to assess the "legacy" of World Cup 2007.